3.18.2015

AAWW presents Undocupoets Petition Reading

Friday, March 27 at The Asian American Writers' Workshop

Did you know that many writing contests require you to be a US citizen? This requirement ends up discriminating against millions of undocumented writers of color a year. If you also think no poet should be excluded just because of where they were born, the Asian American Writers Workshop invites you to their Undocupoets Petition Reading, requesting that writing contests change their guidelines and get out of the business of checking passports. Featuring Wo Chan, Sonia Guiñansaca, Jennifer Tamayo, Javier Zamora and Christopher Soto, it's happening Friday, March 27 at the Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York.

Did you know that many writing contests require you to be a US citizen? While this requirement may initially seem benign, these contests end up excluding millions of writers of color from applying every year. More than ten million migrants a year are explicitly barred from submitting to both artists grants and major writing contests, like the Yale Series of Younger Poets and the Walt Whitman. Poets Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Javier Zamora, and Christopher Soto have authored a petition requesting that writing contests change their guidelines and get out of the business of checking passports. Originally published in Apogee journal, the petition was signed by 400 writers and called for an end to discriminatory judging practices. If you believe we need diverse books, come for a special reading featuring Javier Zamora, Wo Chan, Sonia Guiñansaca, and Jennifer Tamayo. Hosted by Christopher Soto. Co-sponsored with Culturestrike.